


Summer Rain

by FadingThroughNebulae



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Adoptive Parents-Kind of, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, AquAku, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Date Nights, Developing Friendships, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, F/M, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kind of a passion project, Light Pining, May be edited later, No Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, Partying, Past Abuse, Past Violence, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rare Pairings, References to Depression, Responsibility, Romantic Fluff, Self-Doubt, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Slow To Update, Tags may change as I get the general plot moving, Trust, no beta we die like men, possible ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21813301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FadingThroughNebulae/pseuds/FadingThroughNebulae
Summary: While Roxas, Xion, and Ventus adjust to life during their senior year of high school, their two guardians find themselves progressing away from just caring about three youths.
Relationships: Aqua/Axel (Kingdom Hearts), Aqua/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. Take Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know what else to say here other than this will likely be a longer chapter-based work - one that I've been thinking of writing for a long while, as these two characters parallel each other pretty closely. I will update as often as I can while I'm editing. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this as I continue to spin it out. I will also update "Bittersweet Reunion" relatively soon for those of you that are waiting on that. As always, thank you for reading!

Someone rapidly pounded the front door of Lea's house, rattling the semi-circle window set in the top.

“Sheesh." Lea stopped vacuuming. The banging continued. "Alright, alright! Give me a break!" He threw up his hands. "I’m coming.”

He flung the door open, standing there in his black t-shirt, and grey sweatpants as his bare feet stuck to the tile floor. He blinked, half-surprised.

Roxas and Xion stood there with their backpacks, wearing warm smiles on their faces.

“Hi, Axel,” the two half-pints both said in unison as they stepped inside.

Roxas gave Lea a fist bump. "It's been a while," he said.

"You only just saw me a few days ago," Lea said, leaning against the door with his left forearm.

"Seems like forever," said Xion.

Lea managed a smile. "The old lady treating you well?"

"You can ask her yourself," Roxas said, nodding towards the van parked by the curb.

"I'm telling her you called her that," Xion said. 

"Heh, go ahead." Lea reached out and ruffled her hair. "She already knows. Said it's endearing."

"You're a terrible liar." Xion shoved him off, grinning.

Lea laughed, pushing aside thoughts of the past between them that resurfaced. _Liar_. That was all water under the bridge now, right?

Roxas dumped his bag in a nearby chair in the living room, with Xion following his lead. They shared a look, then glanced back at Lea, who was still leaning against the door. He stared outside, the sunlight falling on his pale skin and strengthening the hue of his hair.

Xion and Roxas looked back at each other, then sprinted for the kitchen, with Lea catching them out of the corner of his eye a little too late.

“Hey, hey, hey. You two get back here and take your shoes off!” He released a sigh, running a hand down over his hair to rub the side of his neck. “I just mopped in there.”

He started when Ven popped up in the doorway. 

“Hey, Lea,” he said as he strolled in.

"Hey. School goin' okay for you three?"

"Yeah, nothing special," Ven said, dumping his own backpack next to Roxas and Xion's.

He made his way towards the kitchen, and Lea didn't bother telling him to take off his sneakers. _Floor's ruined in there now anyhow._ Lea titled his head then, affixing his gaze towards the kitchen doorway as he heard Roxas and Xion bickering.

“It’s mine,” Xion said through fits of laughter.

“Come on. I saw it first, Xion."

"Go get another one from the freezer!" 

The sound of cupboards shuddering followed, with Xion likely giving Roxas a teasing shove, causing him to bang into things. Lea massaged his right temple. _It's going to be one of those evenings._ He heard footsteps, and looked up to see Aqua walking up the front porch, wearing a faded pink baseball cap and a white tank-top. She had a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, small holes in her beige cargo pants.

“Hey, Lea.”

"Well, hi. Do I know you?" He shifted his weight to one leg, his arm still pressed to the door.

"Real funny," she said, closing the space between them.

"You're back sooner than expected, is all. Didn't I just see you on Tuesday?"

"Sorry." Aqua adjusted the bag on her shoulder, the strap digging into her skin. "I had to change plans, and bring them over tonight."

Lea ruffled his hair. “Well, thanks for getting them from school and all, but I’m pretty sure we agreed that after Tuesdays, they're your responsibility." He pointed at her with a small smile. "'Til Friday, at least."

He paused, and when she just stared at him, he tossed a hand to the air. "You know, had you called, I'd have rolled out the welcome wagon."

Aqua stepped inside, giving Lea a playful hit in the arm as he closed the door. “I guess I should have called then.”

Lea looked at the vacuum, then back to her. “So, what gives? You breaking the arrangement?" He folded his arms. "'Cause I'd be happy to take Roxas and Xion off your hands.”

"I don't think so, Lea. With your odd hours?" She set her bag down on the living room rug. "No, I’m just needed at the fencing studio tomorrow. One of the instructors called in sick.”

“You mean to tell me I’m going to be stuck watching these three runts for _all_ of tomorrow?"

"Weren't you just complaining about not seeing them enough?"

"Now, who said I was complaining?" He gave her a grin.

Aqua's shoulders relaxed. "Thanks, Lea. I would ask Terra, but- Well, he’s busy at the office, and you _are_ the weekend babysitter.”

Lea's nose wrinkled at that word, but then he came back to the other thing she just said. 

"Terra? You'd ask Terra?" He snorted. "Terra wouldn't be able tell Roxas and Ven apart, let alone watch them."

Aqua laughed. "I guess you're right."

"Like always," Lea said, putting the vacuum away.

Aqua folded her arms behind her back, watching the rain fall outside through the large windows as she slowly rocked back and forth on her heels. Lea rejoined her after shoving the vacuum in the hall closet, burying it under his jackets. They both listened to the increasingly heavy downpour pelt against the glass, the wind howling over the house.

“Ven’s grown very fond of you,” Aqua finally said, her calm voice a small ripple in the stillness.

“Yeah?”

“Hmm. What’s this about staying up late and watching spy thrillers?” she said, now looking at him.

“He told you about that?” Lea scratched the back of his neck. “Well-”

Aqua stared at him, her lips teasing a smile.

Lea shrugged. “What’s wrong with him seeing a little action?”

“What’s _wrong_ is that he needs his sleep, Lea. They all do." She glanced back at the rain. "Even Xion and Roxas can’t stop talking about all the stuff you do with them. Weekends or not, they shouldn’t stay up like you,” she said.

"Well, look at you. Mother hen, as usual."

"You'll have to get more creative than that," Aqua said, smiling at him with a side-eye glance. "That's far too common, coming from you. Called me just the other day."

Lea crossed his arms. “You know, staying up is not exactly something I _like_ doing, especially on the days that I'm off. But I do it for _them_. Don't you think they're bored out of their skulls being at school all week? They deserve to be doing _something_ that's enjoyable." His gaze settled on the small, potted palm tree near the door. "I know I'd want that much.”

“You see taking care of them as a chore, then?” Aqua said as she turned away from him.

“You know I didn't mean it like that," Lea said, flustered. His gaze snapped up, watching her drift towards the kitchen.

Her voice sounded like she was smiling, and it faded as she crossed over into the other room. “If you need a break...”

Everyone then started talking at once. He trailed behind her, moving to the fridge for a soda.

Xion’s voice rang above the others. “Aqua, what are we getting for dinner?”

“I’m not sure,” she said.

Xion stared up at her with big, bright eyes.

Aqua looked to Lea. “What do you have here?”

“Nothing good, unless you guys are okay with salmon for dinner.”

That got a reaction out of them, with Xion and Ven expressing their own versions of disappointment through loud sighs and groans.

"Hasn't that been in there for two weeks?" Roxas said.

"What? No, it hasn't. I just got it yesterday," Lea said.

"Well, _something_ stinks in there."

Lea ignored that comment, taking a sip of his soda. The fizz tickled his upper lip.

“Aqua, can we get pizza?” Ven asked.

Lea made a face. “You all had pizza last week.”

“Aw, come on, Axel. Pizza sounds great!"

“Yeah, Axel. Please?”

Roxas and Xion stared at him. 

Lea met their faces, frowning. “Stop that. Can’t you all go for something substantial for a change?”

“What are you in the mood for, Lea?” Aqua said.

“Oh, I dunno.” He paused, then gestured with his soda. “What 'bout Mexican?”

“Are you serious?” Roxas chuckled. " _Substantial_."

Lea rubbed his shoulder, a wry smile on his face. "Heh, sounds better to me than pizza at the moment."

He set the soda can down, and pulled out a hair tie from his pocket, yanking his hair back as he went over to the sink full of dirty dishes. He placed his palms on both sides of the counter, his head bowing.

"You used to like salmon though," he said to Roxas.

Aqua let out a sigh. “Well, I'm headed out to pick some things up. Ven, you're coming with."

“Huh?” He looked up at her.

“Roxas, Xion, you two want to tag along?”

“Yeah!” said Roxas. Xion gave a single nod with a smile.

“Alright. Ven, here are my keys. Go unlock the car.”

"But where are we going?" Xion asked, drawing one hand to the button on her dress collar.

"You'll see," Aqua said in a whisper so Lea wouldn't hear, giving her a slight wink.

Xion beamed again, and followed the other two outside. Their voices carried as they ran, fighting over who was going to sit where, Roxas and Ven both calling shotgun.

Aqua came over to Lea and placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn't notice how he slightly tensed. He started to look back at her as she spoke.

“You want me to help you clean when I get back?”

“What?" Lea met her face, his hands dangling in the sink. "No. Thanks, I’ll manage.” He put his hand to hers, sliding her touch off him.

“Okay. I'll see you in a bit then,” she said, moving to leave.

“You can take forever, if you want,” he said, giving her a sarcastic look as she stopped in the doorway.

With her hand on the door frame, she flashed him a big grin and returned the banter. “Not a chance. They’re your responsibility too. You’re going to share the load.” She laughed as she headed out.

Lea dunked his hands into the sink, and began scrubbing a large pan as he heard the car engine start. The side of his mouth twitched, and water splashed on the middle of his shirt, making him sigh.


	2. Bookkeeping

The whole house was spotless by the time Aqua and the trio got back, the carpets finally vacuumed. As the group entered the kitchen, Aqua set some grocery bags down on the counter, then Ven turned to her.

“Aqua, can we go upstairs and watch T.V.?” he said, his arms weighed down by two pizza boxes.

“Is that the best idea, Ven? Don’t you three have homework?”

“I finished mine already,” Xion said, starting up the stairs to the right.

“Hey, no fair! You always get to pick the channel.” Roxas clambered up after her.

Ven's eyes followed them, guffaw and sounds of them fighting over the remote drifting down the stairs. He turned back to Aqua. “Please?”

“Oh, alright.” She reached into the upper cabinet, pulling down three plates. “But only for an hour. Then it’s time to hit the books.”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Aqua!” He hiked up the stairs, carefully balancing the plates on the pizza boxes.

As the voices of the trio rose and fell, a few thuds banged through the ceiling.

“You three be careful up there. No fighting!” Aqua called up the stairs.

Things gradually quieted, and the soft sound of police sirens emanated from the television. Aqua shook her head, and finished putting away the groceries. She picked up the last bag full of piping-hot food and ambled through the house, finally finding Lea in the tiny study to the right of the front door. He ruffled his fingers through his hair as he stared down at some open notebooks.

“You all back so soon?” he said, not looking up.

“We were gone for a while, Lea.”

“How long?” He rubbed his forehead.

“About an hour or so.”

“What? Why? I thought you were just getting food.” He looked at her, and then noticed the bag in her hand.

"I did. They're eating pizza upstairs," Aqua said, letting out a small sigh as she cleared off a space on the table from the stacks of paper. Lea didn’t protest when she pulled out a chair.

“I also went grocery shopping,” she said, sitting down. She put the plastic bag on the table, opening it up and fishing out a large item wrapped in tinfoil. “You like the grande burrito, right?” She extended it to him.

“Aqua…” Lea rubbed his eyes, his fingertips stretching out the dark circles on his skin. “What are you doing? You didn’t have to-”

“Oh, be quiet and eat.” She set the burrito in front of him, pulling out her own Styrofoam container full of chicken quesadillas from the bag.

She started to dig in, blotting her mouth with a napkin every few bites, and Lea chewed quietly, his eyes still pouring over the papers in front of him.

“What are you working on?” Aqua finally asked.

“Bookkeeping.” Lea set his burrito down, sighing. “I keep coming up short.”

Aqua wiped her mouth again. “Let me see.” She pushed her food aside, taking up a pen in one hand.

Lea handed her the notebook, a calculator, and his checkbook. She started to crunch numbers, the rim of her cap hiding her eyes while she worked. Lea ate while he watched her, answering the general questions she had about his meager salary and what bills he owed.

After about thirty minutes, Aqua finally came back up for air. "Fixed it."

She handed it back to him, then explained to Lea what he was looking at, mouth half-full of quesadilla while she pointed at various numbers.

Lea shook his head. “I can’t believe I was that off.”

Aqua laughed. "I still don’t know how you managed to mix up this month’s rent with your car payment.”

Lea rubbed the back of his neck, eyes cast to the side. “It just sort of happened," he said. "I’ve never been good at stuff like this.”

Aqua gave him a knock on the shoulder, and Lea subconsciously reached up, the touch of her knuckles still emblazoned on his skin. “Sure you are. You've managed to keep this place in order so far." She took another bite of her food. "Instead of burning it to the ground," she added, an odd smile on her face.

Lea managed a weak laugh, and dug back into his burrito. “I’ll get it right next time.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Aqua smiled. “Although, I have to agree with what you said earlier about your pay. With this place and your job, you’re barely making ends meet.”

Lea’s face fell. “Aqua.”

“Hmm?” She looked at him, her own expression changing as she watched him.

“I wanted it to be a surprise but-”

Aqua lowered her food as she assumed the worst. “You’re moving,” she said, her brow knitting.

“What?” Lea started. “No! No, no, no. Moving? Where’d you get that idea?” He grinned, talking with his hands. “I applied to that job downtown. The graphic designer position I mentioned last week?”

“You did?" Aqua's eyes widened. "I didn’t think you were serious!”

“Would I mention something like that so offhandedly?” he said.

“No, I suppose not.” Aqua smiled into her quesadilla slice. “That’s wonderful news,” she said softly.

“I haven’t gotten it yet." He scratched the side of his cheek. "I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but-”

“I _hope_ you get it. That would be awesome!"

"Wouldn't it though? Glad that degree I got is finally being used for something."

They shared a small, elated look, then went back to eating in silence. The rain outside stared up again, pounding against the sides of the house. A rumble of thunder shuddered through the walls.

Aqua got up suddenly. “I should go check on those three.”

Lea started to get up too, but Aqua put a hand to his shoulder. “You finish eating. I’ll be right back.”

He lowered himself into his seat again, picking up his burrito. The house remained quiet, not a sound coming from upstairs, and Lea took in the mess of papers around him. His nose twitched as he dreaded on cleaning this up later too.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Lea polished off the rest of his burrito, he went back to the kitchen to throw away his garbage now inside the plastic bag. In his other hand, he carried what was left of Aqua’s food, planning to wrap it up and stick it in the fridge. He bumped into her by the sink, with her tossing the pizza boxes in the recycling bin. After she sealed the leftovers in tinfoil, she almost crashed into him when she turned around to open the refrigerator, with him trying to sneak past towards the trashcan.

“Oh! Ha, sorry, Lea.” She went around him, stacking the pizza on the top shelf of the fridge. “You finish your food already?”

“I guess so. I was about to wrap your's up.”

“You don’t need to do that. I'll take it with me. I need to head out soon anyway. Big day tomorrow.”

“Right. You have fun with that.” He paused, his fingers lingering over the back of neck. “How were the terrible three?”

“Real cute," Aqua said, being half-sarcastic. "Would you believe they were all conked out when I went up there? Even left the television on.”

“Oh?” Lea was about to head for the stairs when Aqua called back to him.

“I already tucked them in bed.”

He met her face.

“Saved you the favor.” She smiled with a slight wink. “Dishes are in the dishwasher,” she said, nodding to it as she scooped up her leftovers. “You know, I’m surprised you keep your fridge clean. Don't know what it was that Roxas smelled."

Lea rolled his eyes, waving his hand. “Heh, whatever. You _wish_ you had my housecleaning skills.”

“But not your financial ones.”

“Hey!”

Aqua let out a big laugh. “I’m kidding,” she said. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to check in on how things are going. And keep them away from the ice cream," she said as she turned for the front door. “I saw how much you have stockpiled.”

Lea lagged behind, opening the door for her. Then he noticed she was parked near the curb again.

“Now why would you do a silly thing like that?” he said, turning to her. “You got an umbrella?”

“No. It’s in the car." She hauled her duffel bag onto her shoulder. She met his face. "Relax. It’s a few seconds walk.”

“If you say so. Mine’s right there, if you need it.” He nodded behind her.

“You worry too much,” she said, beaming.

Lea’s hand moved subconsciously to the back of his head. He needed to stop that. Xion pointed out the other day how he always did it when something was said that made him feel… out of place. _A nervous tic,_ she said. Lea knew it was likely more than just that, but he never mentioned it to anyone.

"What do you got in that thing, anyway?" he said, now pointing to Aqua's bag.

"Extra clothes. For them."

"Really."

"Well, okay, and some of my fencing equipment. Gloves and such. Don't know why I brought it in."

"Guess you're not as organized as you pretend to be." Lea laughed, hitting her in the arm this time.

She winced, sucking in air through her teeth. She rubbed her arm, but the smile growing on her face told Lea that she was being dramatic.

“Thanks, Aqua.” He met her eyes. "For... You know. Everything."

“Not a problem.” She stepped outside. “I should be off tomorrow after five. I’ll pop in around then.” She dashed to her car as she waved at him in the rain.

Lea watched as water pattered into her cap and clothes, before she hopped in and drove off. He released a quiet sigh, and bolted the door shut before going upstairs to check on the three troublemakers.

They were sound asleep in the two bedrooms - Ven and Roxas sharing one, and Xion taking the smallest. Lea went back downstairs, crawling into his tiny foldout bed in a corner of the study after he had a quick shower. Everyday, that room seemed to shrink, the table and tall stacks of papers not helping matters. Lea longed for more room to stretch out in. Maybe some day when he could afford it, he'd try looking for a bigger place.

He laid back in his shorts and tank-top, folding his hands behind his head. His eyes drifted shut as he listened to the rain, Aqua’s laughter in his ear, and her contagious smile in his mind.


	3. Vacation

Friday evening, the doorbell rang. Lea veered around the kitchen corner, cocoa powder coating his hands. He wiped them off on his khaki shorts before opening the door.

Aqua stood there, holding a reusable bag high in the air. “I got the whip cream you wanted.” Her gaze settled on the cocoa smearing Lea’s face, her head tilting to the side. “What exactly is it that you’re baking?”

He rolled his shoulders. “Brownies.”

“From scratch?”

“Yeah, so?” Lea glimpsed back at the clock hanging on the wall behind him. “Is it past five already?” he said, releasing a yawn. He bent his arms behind his head, his torso stretching.

“Sure is.” Aqua stepped inside. “You’re not one to watch the time, are you?”

“It’s just not that important, is it?” He said, the back of his hand smearing the powder further over his cheekbones. He took the bag from her, peeking inside. “Thanks, by the way.”

Aqua stared at his hair now. “Did the container explode?”

Lea laughed. “Nah, Xion thought it’d be cute to chuck a handful of this stuff at Roxas, but guess who stepped into the line of fire?” He jabbed a thumb at his chest for emphasis then shook his head. Brown dust fell into his face, coating his eyelashes and the tip of his nose.

Aqua put a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile.

“Axel, the brownies are done!” Xion popped her head around the corner, then flashed a grin. “Hi, Aqua!”

Aqua waved. “You all aren’t making a big mess, are you?”

“’Course not,” Lea answered for Xion with a toss of his hand as he headed back into the kitchen.

Aqua followed him. “So, what’s the occasion?”

“Do you _always_ need a reason to bake?” Lea said, placing the whip cream on the counter. He slipped on a pair of mismatched oven mitts, both with lighthouse prints that matched the hand towels crumpled in a pile near the stove.

“I suppose not. But it’s rare that we give them sweets.”

“Speak for yourself.” Lea laughed, setting the pan on the stove. The smell of gooey chocolate filled the kitchen immediately.

“That’s right.” Aqua crossed her arms. “You’re probably stuffing them full of ice cream while I’m gone.”

“Not every time.” He rolled his head to the side. “Anyway, it’s one of the last days of summer, right?” He removed the oven mitts, stuffing them back into an overflowing drawer. “You busy tonight?”

“No?” Aqua stared at him.

“That a question?” Lea grinned with his eyes scrunching closed. “We’re going to the beach. You’re coming with.”

Aqua gawked, becoming defensive. “Since when?”

“Since just now,” he said, gesturing wide with his arms. “Imma wait ‘til these cool, then we can head out. I made sandwiches earlier before you popped in, and those three helped pack the picnic basket.” He nodded to living room, where Xion, Roxas, and Ven were stuffing some towels into their combined beach bag. Roxas smacked Ven upside the head with a pool noodle, and bickering ensued.

Aqua met Lea’s eyes again. “Wait. So honestly, how long have you planned this?”

“Planned nothing.” He waved his hand. “Roxas suggested it just this morning.”

“But you still put things together before I got here?”

“That’s right! You should tag along.” Lea reached out to slap her shoulder, but she batted it aside.

“How do you know I didn’t have plans?” She couldn’t hide her smile.

“Since when do you ever go out in the evening?” Lea laughed at her expense now.

Aqua’s shoulders rose to meet her neck, then she let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll tag along. Do you need me to grab anything else before we go?”

“Not unless you want to go swimming,” he pointed out, eyes shifting to a ceiling corner.

Aqua shook her head. “Water’s going to be too cold. The sun’s setting soon.”

“If you say so.”

Once the brownies cooled, everyone piled into Lea’s truck with the beach bags and picnic basket worn around the edges. Aqua found some sunshades in her car, and Xion let her borrow her sunhat. Lea, noticing Aqua still had on her white button-up and slacks from her work shift, scrounged around the house until he found a change of clothes so she could wear something more comfortable.

“I was wondering where those went,” she said with a smile as Lea handed her the folded bundle.

“I knew you left them around here somewhere. Remember that sleepover they had a few weeks ago?”

Aqua laughed. “I remember,” she said, ducking in the bathroom to change. She brought her jean jacket as she hauled herself up into the front seat, predicting a chill once the sun was gone.

On the drive over to the beach, a tune came on the radio, and Lea found himself humming along to the annoying melody for a short moment before the three in the back started to belt out the lyrics.

“Forever let us hold our banner high” were the last words hollered before Lea reached over and switched off the dial.

“That’s enough of that. I can only listen to that stupid theme song for so long.” He rubbed his forehead dramatically.

Aqua stifled a laugh, and Roxas and Xion tried to make different song recommendations. After a while, they lounged with Ven against the polyester seats, talking quietly amongst themselves. A twenty-minute drive from Lea’s house, and they arrived at the shore, the faint wind carrying sand off the tiny dunes. The trio charged over the hot beach towards the crashing waves, leaving Lea to carry the picnic basket, packed bag, umbrella, and the few inflatable toys Roxas, Xion, and Ven were too lazy to carry.

“I can get that,” Aqua said, reaching for the picnic basket and beach bag.

“Thanks.” Lea readjusted the inflatables under his arm, and followed Aqua down the wooden walkway, sand sneaking into his sandals.

She laid down the blanket, and helped him set up the umbrella after a huge gust of wind threatened to carry it away. Lea dashed into the water then for a brief moment. He tossed the beach ball and ring to Roxas, giving the latter the responsibility of watching the toys if they sailed off down the beach with the rising gale. Aqua sat under the shade of the umbrella with her legs crossed into a pretzel. She watched as Roxas and Xion tackled Lea and yanked him down into the water, soaking him to the bone. His voice carried as he broke through the surface, sputtering as the brine ran into his eyes from his hair. Aqua let out a laugh. Ven saw her then, and beckoned her to join them among the swelling tide. She declined with a wide smile and wave.

Lea eventually dragged himself out of the ocean, ignoring the calls of Xion and Roxas behind him, and wandered back up the small incline towards Aqua. Sand leaked to his waterlogged shoes and stuck to the backs of his calves, his shorts bagging off his thin frame as water trickled into the sand in his wake. He flopped down onto the blanket next to her, stretching out flat on his back. His breath was shallow, but he retained a steady grin, even as his hair stuck to his forehead.

“They giving you a hard time?” Aqua said, still looking out to the sea.

“Yeah. What else is new?” He sat up a moment later, and ran a hand up over his brow, catching the draining water as he pushed back his thick mane. He tore his shoes off, shaking them out as he considered the trio in the distance, floating with the waves as they splashed water at each other.

After a moment of listening to the surf crash into the shore, Lea spoke up, his arm draped over one knee. “Hey, Aqua.”

“Hmm?”

“You remember the day we met?”

She started, looking at him. “Where’d that come from?”

Lea rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, indulge me.”

Aqua gave a small laugh. “We met because of Ven.”

She looked out to the horizon, seeing him hurl the beach ball at the back of Roxas’s head. It bounced off, with Roxas lurching forward a little. He managed to grab the ball bobbing away on the current and ran after Ven, who scurried onto the beach. Xion followed pursuit, their feet catching in the foam as they laughed.

“You two met once in the past when he visited your place to hang out with Roxas and Xion, and he later introduced us.” Aqua met his green eyes, shrugging. “There’s not much to it other than that.”

Lea looked back to the ocean after swiping a brownie from the picnic basket. “I suppose not. It just seems kind of weird, doesn’t it? This thing we’ve had going for…” He paused, pointing with the treat in his hand. “How long’s it been? With them popping back and forth?”

“Almost three months now,” she said. “I think.”

“You think?”

She laughed, tossing a hand to the air. “I haven’t memorized the exact date. Have you?” She studied him. “They’ve been hopping between our two places for the last year and half. If I recall what Ven told me back then, they met in one of their sophomore classes then started hanging out during lunch.”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Babysitting.”

“You don’t seem to have too much of a problem with it.”

Lea let out a loud laugh then. “Ah, I guess you’re right.” He gave her a shove.

She returned it, sending him into the hot sand.

“Ow. Hey!”

“You did it first,” she said, smiling.

“Not like that.” He sat back up, dusting off the sand that stuck to his now-red arm.

Roxas and Xion suddenly approached them, dripping wet and crab-stepping on the hot beach. Ven joined them, along with three other teens around their age.

“Aqua, Axel, you remember Sora, Riku, and Kairi, right?” Roxas said, drying off his hair and ears with his towel.

“Do I remember?” Lea said. “You know who you’re asking? ‘Course I do.” He got up and shook hands with Sora and Riku, slapping them both on the shoulders, then he gave Kairi a soft fist bump. “You three just graduated last year, right?”

“Yep,” Sora said with a proud smile, bumping his chest with his fist.

“You all miss coming over to hang out?” Aqua said from her spot on the blanket.

“Are you kidding?” Ven wrapped an arm around Sora’s neck before anyone else could answer. “Of course they do.”

Sora struggled to throw him off, then Lea asked, “So, how’s college life?”

“Like high school but more ‘lax,” Sora said, shoving Ven aside.

“Speak for yourself,” Kairi said. “You may be able to stay up late and play on your computer, but some of us actually have to study to make good grades.”

“Here, here,” Riku said.

Sora pestered her. “Oh, what, are you telling me Dr. YenSid’s philosophy course is hard?”

“More challenging than Professor Merlin’s chemistry class!”

“Can it, you two. They’re both difficult,” Riku said.

“How would you know?” Sora said, turning to him.

Riku tossed his head. “Because I’ve taken both.”

Kairi folded her arms, and Sora frowned. “Smarta-”

“Anyway,” Lea butt in, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Not that it’s not _wonderful_ right now catching up and listening to you three go at it, but is there something you all need?”

“Actually, Axel,” Roxas said. “We were wondering if we could borrow some cash.”

Lea bristled. “What for?”

“Kairi, Riku, and Sora wanted to show us around The Pier,” Xion said, nodding to the boardwalk not far off from them. Several little shacks decorated the dock, and faint cheers erupted from an operating roller coaster.

Lea scrunched up his nose. “When did that get there?”

Aqua laughed. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

“We were hoping to ride the Cyclone, and maybe grab some hot dogs,” Roxas said.

“Or pizza and cotton candy,” Xion added. “Sora, Riku, and Kairi were going to pay their own way.”

Lea held his hands up. “Hold it, hold it. You’re telling me you want to _abandon_ the food we _just_ packed for some greasy carnival meals?”

“Please?”

Lea shook his head. “Out of the question. Besides, however much you probably need, I don’t have.”

“Wow, Lea. I never thought you’d be the one to turn them down on something like this,” Aqua said, now tucking her knees to her chest.

Lea looked back at her. “What? We spend all that time prepping and now they’re running off?”

Aqua shook her head with a pathetic smile. “Ven, my bag’s over there.” She nodded towards it. “There’s fifty dollars you can take. Don’t spend it all, and be back before the sun sets, okay?”

Ven whooped. “Wow, thanks, Aqua.”

“Sure thing.”

Lea stood dumbfounded as Ven hauled out the cash and ran away with the others, then he shot a look at her. “Now why on earth would you do that? _We’re_ supposed to be spending time together.” He plunked back down on the blanket next to her, tucking a knee close to him.

“Relax. They haven’t seen those three in a while, so this will be good for them. They’ll wear themselves out soon enough.”

Lea didn’t offer a response, refusing to look at her. They sat there for a good long while, listening to the waves crash along the beach. A light breeze drifted toward them, the smell of sea salt spray in the air. Aqua turned to him a few times, debating on what to comment on, then decided against it. The way Lea’s brow pinched as he gathered up some sand next to him in his palm, and let it slip through his fingers suggested he was still fuming.

He suddenly hauled himself off the blanket, slipping his sandals on. “There’s turkey sandwiches in there, with the usual spread.” He dusted his legs off. “Lettuce, tomato, avocado, maybe mayo. I figured you didn’t like bacon, so none of them have that,” he said to her, not meeting her face.

Aqua stayed quiet for a moment, watching him as he adjusted his wet clothes. Her face softened. “Thanks, Lea.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He scratched behind his ear, then walked off.

Aqua gazed out towards the ocean horizon. After ten minutes of glancing back between the waves, and Lea’s shrinking form that strolled over the sand towards the pier, she grabbed a sandwich out of the basket. She watched the sun dip lower, her mind pondering on how Lea knew she didn’t like bacon.

After about a half-hour, Lea returned, his smile back on his face. Aqua pretended not to notice the two paper cups he held in his hand.

“Where’d you run off to?” she said as he drew closer.

“Just went to go check that they didn’t get into any trouble.”

“And?”

He smiled. “I gave them some extra cash. They’re eating cotton candy now, then they’re going on some spinning ride, then the bumper cars. You should have seen them. Lips stained all blue.” He shook his head, a small laugh escaping him.

“They spent my entire fifty?” Aqua said, eyes wide.

“No, not all of it. They had probably fifteen left, but they were afraid they wouldn’t have enough money to go on all the rides.”

“All of them?”

Lea shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

“Is that best for them to go on something that spins after they just ate?”

“Hey, you sent them over there.”

Aqua rolled her eyes, then after a beat asked, “Did they manage to go on the Cyclone?”

“Ha, yeah. They just came off it when I walked up. Xion looked sick, so I picked her up some water, but the others were on some sort of adrenaline high, all jittery as they walked around. Their hair was _so_ messed up. Roxas was trying to fix his in the mirror attached to the side of the fun house entrance, but that gel he uses must have worn off.”

Aqua hid her own laughter with the back of her hand, and Lea settled down next to her.

“Here ya go.” He handed her the other paper cup.

“What’s this?” she said, taking it.

“An apology,” Lea said, tilting his cup back and slurping whatever was inside. “They ran out of spoons.”

Aqua peered into her own cup at a large blob with rainbow sprinkles and cheesecake bites. “Ice cream?” She glanced back up at him.

Teal coloring ran down the side of Lea’s mouth, and he let out a cough. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure what toppings you wanted, so I guess…” He wiped his mouth off on his arm and stared down at his dessert. “I got what fit your personality,” he said quietly.

“Oh really?” Aqua nudged him with her elbow, and he didn’t budge. “Apology accepted then. Thank you, Lea.” She tilted her cup back. “This was nice of you.”

“Nah.”

“No, honestly. The whole thing. You did a great job putting it together.”

“Heh, well.” He shrugged it off, and stared out at the sun setting on the sea’s horizon. After a moment, he said, “It’s pretty, isn’t it? Kind of takes me back.”

Aqua followed his gaze, then closed her eyes, taking in the smell of the sea. She exhaled and took another sip of her melted dessert.

“Ven looks up to you too, you know,” Lea finally said.

Aqua almost swallowed the ice cream wrong. "Huh? What?" She coughed repeatedly into her arm.

"I guess I'm just thinking about what you said yesterday. I'm honestly not his role model. Not like you."

Aqua stared down at the melted ice cream that she spun around in the bottom of the cup. "No, I doubt he looks up to me that much."

"Nonsense. You've cared for him all this time. Why wouldn't he?"

Aqua grew quiet, a sad look on her face. Lea didn't say anything else, and they silently finished off their ice cream. The caw of the gulls filled the comfortable stillness between them as dusk approached.

Lea reclined then with his arm pressing into the blanket, the other draped over his chest as his hands grasped the empty cup. “Guess you missed your chance to go for a swim.”

“There’ll be other times,” Aqua said.

Lea gave a quiet sound in affirmation, then looked back towards the boardwalk. “They coming back or what?”

“I’m sure they will.”

"You saying something to Ven about breaking his bargain with you when he returns?"

Aqua let out a small sigh. "I might, but probably not. He deserves a break."

“Sure." Lea paused. "I still can't believe it though. Everything’s spoiled now.” He threw his hand towards the picnic basket in frustration.

Aqua failed to hide the faint traces of her smile. “Not everything. It’s fine, Lea.” The sun was gone now, the moon rising behind them.

As she stood up and took down the umbrella, Lea craned his head back, and gazed up at the stars slowly appearing in the hazy, dark-purple sky.

“You know anything about constellations?” he asked as she sat back down.

“What?” Aqua glanced at him, then followed his gaze up to the heavens.

"Isa tried to teach me once," he said, not lowering his eyes. "He was always into stuff like that. You know, he wanted to be an astronomy professor."

"Really?" She looked back at Lea.

"Yeah. He never got the chance, sadly. When he was younger though, he had this telescope with this high-powered lens. His parents got it for him for Christmas. He was always tinkering with that thing. Anyway,” Lea sat up. “He wanted to get me into it."

Aqua pulled her knees to her chest, listening intently. "What'd he teach you?"

"Something about Polaris, but that was as far as he got." He dropped his gaze, a hand running through his hair. "I never could remember every name he rambled off during those summer evenings in his parents' backyard. I was always too busy chowing down the burgers they made us, while he kept calling me over to peer up at the any new star or planet he located."

With his cup in one hand, Lea signed a rectangle in the air. "He always carried this small, blue-leather notebook in his hand, scribbling down all of his findings," he said, laughing. “Isa’s had a knack for drawing the stars as he saw them. Those pages were littered with these dots and lines next to those meticulous notes of his.”

Aqua lifted her eyes back up to the stars. “Well, I may not be as well versed in interstellar knowledge like he is, but I know bits and pieces. From what my fencing instructor taught me after our long evening training sessions anyway.”

“Yeah?” He matched her gaze, both of them admiring the Big Dipper hanging above.

She smiled then, and pointed up to the sky. “You see that cluster right there?”

“The one that looks kinda like a box?”

“Yeah. That there is Cepheus, named after the king of Aethiopia.”

“What’s his story?”

“Well,” Aqua began, launching into the deep mythos of the Greek ruler.

She talked with her hands, with Lea watching her and nodding as she spun out the tale. She expanded on the details of how Cepheus chained his own daughter Andromeda to a rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus, a move to appease Poseidon. Lea interrupted her occasionally, expressing questions and surprise, his eyes wide and a smile growing on his face.

Before Aqua finished explaining a new constellation Lea pointed out to her, this one named Cassiopeia, Roxas, Xion and Ventus returned with the others, lips still stained blue from the cotton candy. They all gathered on the large blanket, and Lea and Aqua inquired how the rides were. Each teen expressed their own level of enthusiasm, with Sora talking the loudest over the others, hands rapidly flipping through the air. They all agreed that the roller coaster was the best of the entire experience.

Riku left for a moment, retrieving a guitar from his car, and Kairi went with him to fetch a few battery-operated lanterns. They sat around the electronic glow in the center of the blanket, with Riku slowly strumming out a few tunes, taking requests from the others when they offered. A cool breeze drifted up from the ocean, and Aqua clutched her jean jacket close to her. They all sat and talked while the moon rose further up into sky, a delicate orb dangling high in the serene air as the night stretched on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this was a bit of a longer chapter. More updates soon.


	4. Invitation

Lea heard the key slip into the lock as he dumped a container of soggy rice into the trash can. He ducked his head back into the fridge. “About time you learned how to use that key.” A teasing grin slipped through his words. 

Aqua appeared in the kitchen doorway, her hand brushing over the wooden frame. “Where is everyone?”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Her clear gaze held on him, then quickly broke away when he caught her looking. A soft smile tugged at the side of his mouth, and he noticed her hair sticking out from under her usual baseball cap in a messy fashion, like startled birds’ feathers. He drew a wilting head of lettuce out of the back of the icebox, wondering to himself then why he even bothered trying to feed those three something healthy.

“They’re in the backyard,” he said, bringing the trash can closer. “Playing with the fencing equipment you left here in the garage a few weeks ago.”

Aqua’s expression grew wild. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

Lea glanced at her, then did a double check. “What is it?”

She trembled, her fingers curling into her palms. “Do you know how expensive those are?” Her face stretched further in horror as she realized something worse. “Oh sh-” She ran to the sliding glass door, ripping it open as she dashed outside.

Lea remained next to the fridge, frozen in a kneeling position with a jar of sauerkraut in his hand. He blinked, thoughts of confusion and concern flooding his mind. After a moment, he slowly busied himself again with dumping half of the ice box into the trash. He then heard Aqua’s voice carry as she wrangled the teens in, followed by Ven’s protests.

“These are not toys, guys!”

“Aw, come on, Aqua. We didn’t do anything!”

“No. Absolutely not! The last thing I need is for someone to go to the hospital.”

After a few seconds, she entered back into the house, a large blue duffel bag digging into her shoulder. The three others entered behind her.

“I told you!” Xion gave Roxas a hard nudge.  He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head with a pained smile on his face. 

“I guess we got busted, huh?”

Aqua stepped between them, heading to the couch in the living room. “Lea, can I see you for a minute?”

In the kitchen, he stopped short, hand hovering over the trash can. He sighed as he got to his feet then, chucking a tube of expired mustard fall into the bin.

“Looks like someone’s in just as much trouble,” Xion whispered to Roxas as Lea appeared next to them.

Aqua dumped her bag on the couch, then turned to face them. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her face more than serious. “I need you all to understand something.” She spoke slowly, her words hovering at a calm volume. It would have been less terrifying if she actually raised her voice.

“Fencing swords,” she nodded towards the bag. “Are not to be played with like you were doing. If you guys wanted to use my things, I wish you all would just ask me first.”

“Aqua-” Ven began.

“Let me finish,” she said firmly. “None of you even had the proper attire on. No gloves, no face masks, nothing.” Her gaze settled on each of their heads. “If one you lunged, and ended up connecting with skin…” She let out an exasperated laugh. “Well, you can imagine then why I’m angry with you.”

Roxas and Xion shared a look. Ven opened his mouth to protest again when Lea stepped in. 

“Hey, come on now. You act like they’re aware of the certain safety measures you go into with your own students.” He let out a short laugh, expressing how ridiculous he thought this all was. “I mean, it's not like you go into detail over them while you're over here talking about your day.”

“Lea!” She glared at him, her jaw tight. “I don’t think you understand how serious this is. What if one of them got hurt? You making light of the situation-”

He held up his hands. “You know what? Fine. Blame me.”

Aqua’s face changed for a moment. “What?”

“You heard me. Don’t go after  _ them _ .” He put a hand to his chest. “Roxas came to me asking for permission to use them, so I gave it to him.” 

Aqua fell silent, and Ven moved towards her. “We’re sorry, Aqua.”

She hesitated, meeting each of their faces. When she settled on Lea, he raised his eyebrows, and gave a faint gesture towards the three teens with his head.

Aqua let out a shaky sigh, putting a hand to her brow. “No, I guess I should apologize. Lea's probably right. None of you knew. Still, I would expect, Lea, that you'd have some common sense."

Lea exhaled as he scratched his head, and he avoided her stare. "You're accusing _me_ now?" He rolled his head so he met her eyes. "Look, I don't spend enough time around those things enough to even know how to hold one correctly. But yeah, I guess I should have been aware that they needed something like that. It's not like they were included in the bag." 

She paused, taking a quick glance at the duffel bag slumped on the couch cushions. " I’m sorry for getting cross. Just, please, ask me before using any of my things so I can make sure you have the right equipment.”

Roxas and Xion nodded, with Ven mouthing an 'okay.'

A moment passed, and then Lea popped in again with a suggestion. “Why don’t you give them a short class later this weekend? Teach them more about how to use the things.”

Aqua met his sharp green eyes and eased into a smile. “I just may have to do that.”

Lea turned to the trio, flashing a grin. “There you have it. Haha, you guys better prepare for some tough training.”

Ven pumped his fist, a surge of exciting coursing through him at the thought. “Alright!”

Xion turned to Roxas. "You’re so going down.” 

He responded with a close-eyed grin.  “Ha, sure. You’re on.”

Lea interrupted them, shaking his head. “It’s not going to be a full-out duel, you guys. Pay attention to what she tells you.”

"Like you do?"  Roxas snorted before taking a playful swing at him. 

Lea caught the punch in one hand, laughing. "I don't count."

Aqua hid her small smile with the back of her hand. “Roxas.” He met her face. “Xion, Ven. Would you three mind going upstairs real quick? I need to speak with Lea, privately.”

Lea straightened, locking eyes with her. “For why-?”

“Sure thing!” Ven darted towards the stairs. “I got dibs on the Xbox!”

“No fair. You played Dark Souls yesterday!” Xion clambered after him, Roxas close behind.

Lea rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess some things aren't going to change no matter how many days pass." He blinked as  Aqua now stood in front of him, and he took his hand away, rolling his shoulders. “So, what’s this about?” 

“Lea, I want to be upfront with you," she said, her tone unwavering in seriousness. "I didn’t wish to say this in front of the kids, but I really need you to be with me on this. You downplaying it does not sit well."

He turned his palms out to the air. "I made mistake, alright."

"If I leave the swords here again, or something similar for that matter, do not give anything to them at  _ all  _ if I’m not around.”

He offered her a small smile as he took a step back away from her. “You got it. And I’m sorry too. I didn’t have the slightest idea.” He moved towards the kitchen. “But, and this is just an observation, maybe you overacted a little?”

Aqua didn't follow him, instead unzipping the bag to double check if everything was there. Her tone was now defensive as she called to him from the other room. “I don’t think so. Do  _ you  _ want to take them to the ER if one of them is stabbed in the face?”

“Point taken," he called back as he opened the fridge. "Forget I said anything.”

She fell quiet, counting things in her bag as Lea threw a few more things out- green onions, salami, and beans. He tied up the garbage bag, and glanced over his shoulder. Aqua had snuck behind him as he took his time cleaning. She had her ball cap off, and was running her fingers through her hair. "I just want them to be careful."

"You don't trust me?" He set the trash aside, and reached back into the fridge.  As Aqua put her hat back on, he tossed her a can of soda. “Catch.”

She fumbled, the cool aluminum almost slipping out of her grasp. She stared down at it, her thumbs rubbing over the brand logo, smearing the perspiration off. "It's not that. I just know you're busy too and you can't watch them all the time." She glanced back up at Lea, who cracked open his own drink. The popping sound of fizz leaked into the air.

“I get it. But I'm sure they were alright. Did you see any blood when you went out there?”

"No, but that's not the point, Lea." She rubbed more water off the can.

He didn't say anything else, an unsettling silence forming between them. After several long, painful beats, Lea was dying for small talk. 

“Hmm.” He took a sip of his soda before tilting the can towards her in a gesture. “Did you do training in that?”

Aqua paused, giving her clothes a quick look over. Jeans with a beige v-neck blouse and black wedge sandals. "No, I changed before I came over here,” she said, opening her soda now.

Lea bent his neck then as he stretched one of his arms. "Really? Special occasion?"

"Do you always need a reason to dress comfortably?"

He laughed at that, her words mocking the same phrase he said to her days prior, and her eyes fell to the floor.

“Actually, Lea, I want to ask you something.”

“Hmm?” He swallowed, carbonation tickling his throat. His eyes traced over her ball cap, trailing down to her pretty blue hair, and those bright eyes as vast as clear skys.

She glanced back up at him, flicking her hair out of her face with a jerk of her head. “I was going to take Ven and the others to a movie tomorrow, if you want to tag along.”

“Really?” His gaze focused on a corner of the ceiling. “Which movie?” He dropped his eyes, drinking again.

“It’s that new spy thriller that just came out," Aqua said, and her face turned puzzled. "Payment on the Wharf?"

"Is that what it's called? Sheesh.” Lea rolled his eyes. “Sounds more like a crime drama or noir film." He flashed her a teasing smile. "I thought you didn't approve of spy flicks."

Aqua quickly exhaled through her teeth, her mouth bending into an embarrassed grin as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm not allowed to change my interests?" She motioned an open palm to the air.

"Not when you harass me for sharing mine with those three,” he said.

Aqua simpered. "Well thanks, babe. I'll try not to get on you about stuff like that anymore.” She chuckled now, but caught herself, realizing what she just called him.  She covered her mouth with her hand, but a big smile had already crossed Lea's face. He continued to badger her, amusement written plainly on his face.

"Keep in mind,  _ babe, _ " he said with unmistakable sarcasm. “I don't tell  _ you  _ what to do during your time with them." 

He laughed louder as Aqua’s ears suddenly burned red. "I’m kidding! Damn, you’re always so serious.” He smiled into his soda. “It’s probably a good thing though. Who knows what would happen if you weren’t here?”

Aqua found her voice now, though she failed to stop herself from grinning back at him. “You know exactly what would happen, as we saw today.”

Lea tossed his hand, his expression greatly exaggerated as he scoffed. “Oh, don’t start. I already apologized once.”

She managed to laugh, and a more comfortable sense of stillness fell between them, ever so briefly as they sipped their sodas.

“Anyway,” Lea said. “Yeah, I’ll probably go with you. I don't have anything planned." 

“You sure?”

“Positive. I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“Okay. Well then I’m driving.”

“Fine by me,” Lea pointed a finger at her while still holding his drink. “You also paying?”

“That’s a bit of a stretch, don't you think?” Her laugh was more full now, and she downed the rest of her drink before releasing a relieved breath. Lea blinked as he watched Aqua crush the can on the counter and tossed it into the trash. 

“It’s my turn tonight, right?” she said.

“Huh?”

“To watch them.”

“Oh. No, no it’s not actually.” Lea shook the soda can from side to side, gauging how much was left.

“Well, I’m going to take them off your hands anyway.”

“How come?” he said, meeting her eyes.

She smiled. “Terra found this pizza parlor that he wanted to check out,” she said as she disappeared into the living room. “He suggested the kids should come.”

Lea fell silent, and the soda he was drinking suddenly tasted flat. He snapped himself out of his thoughts, convincing himself pizza didn’t mean anything.

“I’m going to put my bag in the car,” Aqua said to him through the kitchen window that peered into the sitting space.

He let out a short laugh. “You really don’t trust me, do you?”

“Nope.” Aqua gave him a quick wink.  As she headed out the front door, Lea called up the stairs. 

“Guys, Aqua’s getting ready to leave!”

“We’ll be right down!” Xion called back, shouting over Roxas yelling at Ven to give him the controller.

Lea set his can of soda down for a moment, then stretched his arms high above his head. He gazed back to the sink where all the dirty plastic containers awaited him. “Wonderful,” he muttered in a sigh, throwing his arms to his sides. 

Aqua wandered back into the kitchen. “Do they know I’m-?”

He picked his soda back up. “Yeah, I just told them. They should be getting their stuff now.” Lea's reply was followed by several thumping noises as the three charged down the steps. 

“You all got everything?” She said, patting a hand on Ven’s head.

“Sure do,” he said. He pushed her arm away then, causing her to let out a faint laugh.

“Just so the three of you know, we’re going to the movies tomorrow night.”

“Seriously?” Roxas said, then glanced towards Lea. “Axel’s coming too?”

Lea let out a cough at the sound of his old name, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as he shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got stuff to do here.”

Aqua’s eyes snapped to him, her mouth opening in response.

“What?” Roxas gaped at him.

Lea knocked back the rest of his drink and crushed the aluminum can in one hand. He placed it on the counter as he approached the group, suddenly socking Roxas in the arm. “Gotcha. ‘Course I’m going.”

Roxas looked at him through a winced expression.

“Axel,” Xion’s voice was laced with concern. Her hand shot to her mouth as Roxas swung at Lea with a right hook, smacking him in the left shoulder.

“Not funny,” Roxas said, a small grin forming. 

A deep chuckle escaped Lea. He absorbed the hit, but Roxas had some strength behind him. There would probably be a bruise there later. Lea straightened, locking eyes with Aqua. “Well, guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Aqua shook her head, and handed the keys to Ven. “Wait for me in the car.”

He snatched the keys before darting for the door, with the other two following in close pursuit.

“Bye, Axel. See you tomorrow!” Xion waved at him, and Roxas gave him a two finger salute as he walked out.

Lea turned to Aqua, who just stood there and stared at him. 

“Now what? You're going to yell at me again?” A smile started to grow on his face, his arms out in a shrug when she suddenly threw herself into him, arms pulling him close. He tensed up, startled as she hugged him tightly. The scent from her hair filled his nose, smelling of soft ocean waves.

“I’m sorry for fighting with you,” she whispered.

“What?” He pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes. “You still hung up about that? It’s fine, honestly. I get it, you don’t want them to play with the swords without the proper safety protection. I was in the wrong, okay? I shouldn't have given them those without your knowledge.”

She nodded. “I’m glad you’re not angry with me, at least.”

“You must be joking,” Lea said, shaking his head as he hand fanned through the air. “I’m furious with you, calling me out like that.” He gave her a wide grin, causing her to genuinely laugh.

She let out a happy sigh. “Thank you, Lea. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 4:30.”

“What time does it start?” he said as he hauled the garbage bag up into the air. He slung it over his back, the muscles in his thin arms flexing.

“Five," she said.

“On a Saturday?" He tilted his head to the side. "Hmm, alright. Well, I hope we get tickets then.” His gaze flicked through the kitchen door for a moment, resting on a small potted palm tree in the other room . “But you owe me a bag of popcorn” he said, his eyes coming back to her.

“I think I can do that,” she said, her curled fingers covering her smile. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, sure. Bye, _babe_!” He winked as he flashed her a single finger gun.

“Shut up!” she said, her laughter bubbling as she walked out the front door. 

Lea went to the front window soon after, the garbage still pressing into his shoulder, and he watched Aqua pull out of the driveway. The sun’s light was fading now. As he headed into the backyard to dump the trash, Lea couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to thoughts of sitting next to Aqua, watching action unfold on the big screen together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to my readers for the delay in updates. For this particular chapter, I wanted to demonstrate how Aqua and Lea's personalities conflict just a tad as they experience little spats, and I have no idea if I did it well. These two may be completely OOC in this event. Please let me know what you think, as I love feedback. Thank you so much for reading. More to come momentarily!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Tarte aux Fruits](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22138666) by [lawyerdonut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawyerdonut/pseuds/lawyerdonut)




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